post 4: Yoga in Tel Aviv

For those of you that know me, you know that yoga plays a very important role in my life. Before I came to Tel Aviv, I did some research and found a yoga studio close by that is English speaking and has a good reputation.

However, I was a bit apprehensive before starting yoga here. The culture is not very ‘zen.’ It is actually quite the opposite- the city is busy and hot. The people are very aggressive and in-your-face. There is no personal space here, and people are very casual and laid-back when it comes to any type of organized group setting. When it comes to yoga, everyone likes to chat in between poses, and these interruptions are more than welcome.

So, I thought writing this form of a screenplay was a good way to give you a glimpse into typical Israeli culture, and what one of my very first yoga classes here was like:

INT. YOGA STUDIO – EVENING

GUY, gorgeous gay yoga instructor in his twenties, rolls out
his mat on the wooden floor of his studio. He welcomes
people into his class, as they roll out their mats as well.

MEEKA, Guy’s tiny adorable cocker-spaniel, struggles to
unhook the plastic leash from the table it’s attached to.
The whole class is now in downward dog and Guy guides the
class with breathing “deep breath in and out, in and out.”